Hong Kong – In a city once known for its vibrant press culture, a quiet resistance unfolds—led not by politicians or activists, but by journalists armed with notebooks, cameras, and the will to speak truth to power. Amid a wave of what they describe as “systemic and organised” harassment, Hong Kong journalists are standing their ground against a new form of intimidation: tax audits.
At the center of this storm is Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). In a recent press conference, she detailed a series of invasive and often bizarre tax investigations targeting at least 20 individual journalists, their families, and multiple independent outlets. One audit accused a journalist of owning a company that didn’t exist; another was told to pay tax on income never earned.
“These investigations are not just administrative tasks. They disrupt lives, sap financial stability, and drain the mental energy needed to report the truth,” Cheng said with a steady calm. “But we will not stop.”
Among those impacted is the English-language Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP), whose founder, Tom Grundy, revealed a 15-month audit process that has effectively turned him into “a one-man compliance department.” Despite facing demands and delays, HKFP has remained transparent and operational—an act of endurance as much as editorial duty.
These journalists are not alone. Reporters Without Borders and other international organizations have pointed to a wider campaign to silence dissenting voices in the media, often through indirect yet punishing means. With press freedom rankings plummeting—Hong Kong now sits at 140 out of 180 countries—many see these tax probes not as coincidence, but as calculated pressure.
What emerges from these stories is not merely a tale of struggle, but of extraordinary professional ethics. Despite death threats, legal harassment, and financial suffocation, these individuals continue to investigate, publish, and inform. They resist not with violence, but with truth. Their tools are transparency, their armor is resilience.
As Grundy notes, “We expected this. And we prepared. We will keep going.” Such resolve is not only admirable—it is essential.
In a world where truth is increasingly contested, the courage of Hong Kong’s journalists reminds us that journalism, at its best, is an act of hope. Even in darkness, they continue to shine a light.
